Jam Making Day

Grandma "Num" came up for a jam making day and make jam we did!

We were completely out of strawberry jam at our house and have been for a few weeks.  Nannie floated us some homemade raspberry and that helped but we've been living off boughten grape for our jam needs for awhile.  These spoiled babies (okay, it's me) can't hardly enjoy boughten strawberry jam after growing up on homemade.

My grandparents just over the hill from us had quite a large strawberry field and I spent many a summer morning with Grandma out there picking (and eating) until my fingers (and mouth) were stained red from sun kissed berries.  Then we'd sit in front of the box fan and pop the tops off the berries for preserving.  Grandma's sugar dish was always handy in case a berry needed a dip, and my childhood summer days were sweetened with fresh juicy berries.  Homemade strawberry jam has been a "way of life" for me as far back as I can remember.  So you see how running out is detrimental to both the children and me (wink).  

Anyways....back to jam day.  

To my best rough tally we used 30 pounds of fruit, 40ish pounds of sugar (eesh), 2 store runs for Mike (one of jars, one for sugar "just in case" [we didn't run out!]) and yielded, by count of the children, 94 jars of jam (mostly pints).  This is freezer jam - we've always made freezer jam - and should last our four families (plus those jars we give away to beloved friends and family) for a good while!

Grandma Cindy was generous with her patience on jam day and our helpers were good solid workers.  The oldest three stuck it out pretty well the whole time.  Zayden didn't want to get messy but did stir a little, and I learned that he doesn't actually like strawberry jelly and prefers grape.  Evalynn worked hard until she decided she was done working and then didn't work an ounce more!

Once we found our groove the system was pretty smooth.  Natalee and Xavier worked up most of the sure jell on the stove one batch at a time, we had timers on phones and watches and the biggest difficulty was remembering what each one was for.

I got a batch of bread going before mom got to the house (what is fresh jam without fresh bread?).  Oh that I someday might have my mother's bread making skills.  This was "ok" - our hungry worker bees didn't complain anyways!

Mia wiped each rim and jar and lidded them all.

What a successful day!  Our tiny kitchen was hopping and every surface was sticky when we were done!

I had kept thinking that I should just tackle this project on my own but I sure am glad mom wanted to tackle it with me.  Her visit was exactly what this little house needed.  These are exactly the type of days that I hope my kids store up in their memory banks.  Stirring until their arms were stiff.  Laughing and joking and working together.  Thanks, Grandma!